Dezeen School Shows: a design for an ecological research centre informed by the "growth rings" of trees, is among the architecture projects from Politecnico di Torino.

Also featured is a science museum with a timber thatched roof and a school extension that includes a library and playground.

Politecnico di Torino

Institutions: Politecnico di Torino and University of Belgrade
School: Department of Architecture and Design, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Valeria Federighi, Jelena Ristić Trajković, Caterina Barioglio, Alessia Monaco, Davide Domenico Bigaran, Giovanni Ceselli, Erblin Berisha, Kevin Painter, Federica Joe Gardella, Luciana Mastrolia, Mariolina Affatato, Lorenzo Murru, Yahya Shaker, Jessica Comino, Edoardo Bruno, Giovanni Comoglio, Aleksandra Milovanović, Jelena Mihailović, Mila Mitrović, Dušan Ignjatović, Nikola Miletić, Jelena Živković, Tamara Mladenović and Milja Mladenović

School statement:

"Six design studios taught across the schools of architecture, planning and urban design of Torino and Belgrade take as project site the Sava Blocks in New Belgrade and explore them in the course of a semester-long collaboration.

"The site, three large urban blocks developed in the 60s and 70s – along the Sava river at the western end of New Belgrade – offers an articulate set of questions and challenges, which each studio attempts to work on at different scales and with different design tools.

"This includes the urban scale of planning to the scale of the building and its structural elements, from the strategic, ludic approach of a game of practices to experiments superimposing overlapping urban logics onto the existing fabric of the city.

"A broader selection of student works will be shown in the exhibition 'Sava Blocks, New Belgrade. Rethinking Modernity' opening 24 March 2026 at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture.

"The collaboration between the Department of Architecture and Design at Politecnico di Torino and the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture, was supported by TNE-DeSK project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and research within the EU."

Bridge of Bricks by Samuele Ferro, Sara Freisa, Vittoria Grassi and Mattia Marcone

"This design studio experiments with articulate groundscapes and public/private programmes through the urban infill of inhabited bridge structures in Block 45, New Belgrade.

"The Bridge of Bricks in Block 45, Belgrade, is a steel structure linking Branko Radičević primary school to the surrounding public space.

"It contains a library open to the city and a playroom for students, turning a connection into a place for social interaction. The project reshapes the outdoor area with new playgrounds and a green public square.

"The bridge enhances ground-level space, showing how structure and architecture create urban quality for the wider community sustainably."

Students: Samuele Ferro, Sara Freisa, Vittoria Grassi and Mattia Marcone
Course: Architecture and Structural Forms, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Valeria Federighi, Alessia Monaco, Davide Domenico Bigaran and Giovanni Ceselli

Common Landscape by Derin Demirkol, Luca Ionescu and Nikolass Jansons

"The City and Territory Design Studio frames collective life as a field of experimentation, envisioning transformative scenarios for the afterlife of urban legacies in Block 45, New Belgrade.

"The project introduces a fluid red infrastructure that acts as a subversive narrative superimposed on the regular modernist grid.

"By weaving an elevated pedestrian ribbon through the existing blocks, the proposal transforms the structural isolation of the 'superblock' into a continuous social experience.

"This organic intervention culminates in a reimagined waterfront along the Sava River, where the urban boundary blurs into a topographic landscape of leisure."

Students: Derin Demirkol, Luca Ionescu and Nikolass Jansons
Course: City and Territory Studio, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Caterina Barioglio, Erblin Berisha, Kevin Painter, Federica Joe Gardella, Luciana Mastrolia, Mariolina Affatato, Lorenzo Murru, Yahya Shaker and Jessica Comino

Sensing the Block by Lazar Vasić

"Developed within the design studio 'Sensescapes: Multisensory Experiences of Space' at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, this project explores the role of multi-sensory spatial experiences in shaping contemporary transformative environments.

"The proposal inserts a new educational and recreational structure into the modernist fabric of New Belgrade's blocks, reinterpreting the rigid orthogonal matrix through a sequence of spatial interventions.

"A linear architectural axis connects dispersed programmatic volumes, forming a network of learning environments embedded within the open block landscape.

"Vertical elements and elevated passages establish new relationships among public space, educational programs and the surrounding urban context, transforming the open space into a dynamic 'sensescape'."

Student: Lazar Vasić
Course: Sensescapes: Multisensory Experiences of Space (M01 Design Studio - Module Architecture), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Jelena Ristić Trajković, Aleksandra Milovanović, Jelena Mihailović and Mila Mitrović

Co-designing Continuity in Block 45 – Artisans' Guild by Chiara Avola, Irene Bangueses, Olga Maria Lekka, Hiva Mohammadi and Samin Nour Azaran

"In this class, design is framed as a collective and strategic practice, tested through The Great Game – a simulation set in Novi Beograd's Block 45 where students work for different stakeholders.

"A group of architects is hired by the Artisans' Guild, whose intentions are unclear: 70 per cent is willing to stay and upgrade their workshop spaces, while 30 per cent is inclined to give in to development pressure and sell.

"The project translates negotiation into space: lightweight added floors extend production, facades are restored and a shared rooftop, park and football field construct a new common ground between artisans, residents and incoming mixed-use development."

Students: Chiara Avola, Irene Bangueses, Olga Maria Lekka, Hiva Mohammadi and Samin Nour Azaran
Course: Architectural Design Theory A, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Edoardo Bruno, Valeria Federighi, Mariolina Affatato and Giovanni Comoglio

Continuum by Una Simić

"Developed within the Ecological Urban Design Studio, Continuum addresses the fragmentation of public spaces in Block 70 in New Belgrade, aiming to transform the existing promenade from a transit route into a space for lingering and social interaction.

"A system of interconnected nodes is established, encouraging culture, education, recreation and play.

"The space is shaped as a continuous sequence of places that respond to the needs of different generations and enable flexible use throughout the year.

"To mitigate urban heat island effects, green and permeable surfaces are maximised, while shading structures and water features are integrated as cooling elements."

Student: Una Simić
Course: Ecological Urban Design (M01 Design Studio, Module Urbanism), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Jelena Živković, Tamara Mladenović and Milja Mladenović

Belgrade EcoTech Centre by Zora Đorđić and Iva Jovanović

"Belgrade Centre for Technology and Ecology is conceived as a sculptural architectural landmark where science, innovation and nature converge.

"Shaped by an organic form, the building appears to emerge from the landscape, while the ground plane unfolds into terraced public spaces designed for gathering and social interaction.

"The structure combines concrete panels with glass surfaces, balancing a sense of monumentality with transparency.

"An opening in the roof plane brings natural light into the central lobby, creating a dynamic spatial experience.

"The enclosed interior spaces accommodate classrooms, offices and research facilities, supporting education, collaboration and innovation within an open and environmentally responsive setting."

Students: Zora Đorđić and Iva Jovanović
Course: House of E:cology (M03 Design Studio, Module Architectural Technology), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Dušan Ignjatović and Nikola Miletić

Through a bridge of houses by Nicola Breda, Elisabetta Chiri, Erica Parola and Stefania Romanello

"The design studio experiments with articulate groundscapes and public/private programmes through the urban infill of inhabited bridge structures, or bridges of houses, in Block 45, New Belgrade.

"In this project, a monumental staircase cuts through the core of the building and connects the ground floor to a winter garden at the top level.

"The bridge incorporates public functions, including a library, study room, gym and restaurant, within a largely residential programme.

"The surrounding public space features sports grounds, playgrounds and a botanical garden, in an attempt at integrating the new programme within a consolidated urban context."

Students: Nicola Breda, Elisabetta Chiri, Erica Parola and Stefania Romanello
Course: Architecture and Structural Forms, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Valeria Federighi, Alessia Monaco, Davide Domenico Bigaran and Giovanni Ceselli

Less Concrete, More Jungle by Catarina Domingues and Kamila Gorska

"The City and Territory Design Studio frames collective life as a field of experimentation, envisioning transformative scenarios for the afterlife of urban legacies in Block 45, New Belgrade.

"The project envisions a dialectical synthesis between the socialist-modernist 'concrete' legacy and an emergent 'jungle'.

"It re-conceptualises the superblock as a porous, living organism; by elevating soil permeability, biodiversity and integrating new affordable housing extensions, the intervention dissolves the boundary between the domestic and the wild.

"Rather than opposing the existing structure, the proposal works through its latent adaptability, activating in-between spaces and open grounds as a shared ecological infrastructure for collective life."

Students: Catarina Domingues and Kamila Gorska
Course: City and Territory Studio, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Caterina Barioglio, Erblin Berisha, Kevin Painter, Federica Joe Gardella, Luciana Mastrolia, Mariolina Affatato, Lorenzo Murru, Yahya Shaker and Jessica Comino

Urban Scaffold by Anamarija Živković

"Developed as part of the Sensescapes: Multisensory Experiences of Space design studio at the Department of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, this project explores architecture as an open, transformable spatial framework.

"The proposal introduces a linear infrastructural system that traverses the modernist blocks of New Belgrade, establishing a network of platforms, structural grids and vertical communication cores.

"Through prefabricated elements and adaptable spatial modules, the project enables continuous transformation of programmatic uses, supporting educational, cultural and collective activities.

"The resulting structure operates as an evolving urban scaffold that activates the open-block landscape, encouraging movement, interaction and multi-sensory engagement within the existing residential environment."

Student: Anamarija Živković
Course: Sensescapes: Multisensory Experiences of Space (M01 Design Studio - Module Architecture), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Jelena Ristić Trajković, Aleksandra Milovanović, Jelena Mihailović and Mila Mitrović

Living Grid by Miomir Kukolj

"In the Ecological Urban Design Studio, community spaces in Block 70, New Belgrade, are designed following ecological principles.

"Living Grid youth centre project is based on the idea of a spatial grid that organises the entire site.

"The grid allows flexibility, phased development and future spatial transformations.

"The project consists of eight pavilions arranged to form open intermediate spaces that encourage gathering and interaction.

"Implemented ecological measures include the presence of greenery and permeable surfaces, rainwater collection, natural ventilation of pavilions and the use of modular and demountable system that enables resource efficiency and ensures the long-term sustainability of the complex."

Student: Miomir Kukolj
Course: Ecological Urban Design (M01 Design Studio, Module Urbanism), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Jelena Živković, Tamara Mladenović and Milja Mladenović

Eco Weave: under the thatching roof by Petar Raković and Sara Ristanović

"The project introduces a singular large structure embedded within the park landscape of Block 44 in New Belgrade, facing the Sava river.

"Conceived as a hybrid of a natural science museum, research environment and public learning space, the building accommodates exhibitions, educational programmes and an amphitheatre.

"Its spatial identity is defined by a system of tree-like structural columns that generate an interior environment resembling a forest, blurring the boundary between architecture and landscape.

"The timber diagrid roof is developed as a parametrically controlled structural system, spanning above these structural elements and finished with traditional thatching – an ecological, renewable material that introduces a tactile, vernacular layer while reinforcing the project's environmental sensibility."

Students: Petar Raković and Sara Ristanović
Course: House of E:cology (M03 Design Studio, Module Architectural Technology), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture
Tutors: Dušan Ignjatović and Nikola Miletić

Eco-Living New Belgrade – Adaptive Retrofit for Block 45 by Hania Abdelhafez, Salah Mahmoud, Sara Merhawi Tesfai and Diana Nurbasheva

"In this class, design is approached as a situated process shaped by actors, agreements and strategic choices, within The Great Game staged in Novi Beograd's Block 45.

"Group 12 performs as an architectural practice hired by a group of residents seeking an energy upgrade, in response to rising costs and intensifying summer heat stress in Belgrade's modernist housing estates.

"Through assemblies, surveys and negotiated decisions, the team mediates between efficiency targets and the preservation of the block's modernist stepped facade.

"The final proposal combines envelope improvements and rooftop photovoltaics with a mobile perforated screen that modulates solar gain while safeguarding its architectural identity."

Students: Hania Abdelhafez, Salah Mahmoud, Sara Merhawi Tesfai and Diana Nurbasheva
Course: Architectural Design Theory A, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Edoardo Bruno, Valeria Federighi, Mariolina Affatato and Giovanni Comoglio

Living Infrastructure by Yingtong Liu, Yifei Long and Yedecao Tao

"The City and Territory Design Studio frames collective life as a field of experimentation, envisioning transformative scenarios for the afterlife of urban legacies in Block 45, New Belgrade.

"The project redefines the socialist Block 45 as a dynamic node of hyper-connectivity. Centred on Transit-Oriented Development, the project introduces an elevated mega-infrastructure that reorders movement hierarchies, rethinks collective spaces and reconnects the residential buildings through a new spatial logic: a pedestrian spine weaving through the blocks toward the riverfront.

"This intervention activates underutilised voids, transforming them into community anchor spaces and educational hubs.

"Through a multi-scalar synthesis of soft mobility and inclusive housing, the proposal reshapes the superblock into a porous social landscape, where proximity to essential services and nature is elevated to a fundamental urban right."

Students: Yingtong Liu, Yifei Long and Yedecao Tao
Course: City and Territory Studio, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Caterina Barioglio, Erblin Berisha, Kevin Painter, Federica Joe Gardella, Luciana Mastrolia, Mariolina Affatato, Lorenzo Murru, Yahya Shaker and Jessica Comino

Bridging the C by Matteo Mario Barozzi, Martina Rizzello, Roberto Serra and Gianpaolo Tassone

"The project develops a bridge-building in Block 45, New Belgrade, conceived to counteract mass construction and speculative land use.

"The design respects and reinterprets the existing urban morphology, through a C-shaped configuration that reflects the neighbourhood's prevailing typology without disrupting the urban fabric.

"The programme combines residential units, grocery stores, dining areas, fitness spaces and dedicated learning and play zones for local youth.

"The course addressed the complexity of the bridge-building theme, including ground conditions and the spatial flows generated by the architecture."

Students: Matteo Mario Barozzi, Martina Rizzello, Roberto Serra and Gianpaolo Tassone
Course: Architecture and Structural Forms, Politecnico di Torino
Tutors: Valeria Federighi, Alessia Monaco, Davide Domenico Bigaran and Giovanni Ceselli

The Urban Nest by Anja Gajić and Aleksija Milošević

"Designed as a research centre dedicated to science and ecology, this project aims to connect the brutalist residential block 44 with the open promenade along the Sava River, acting as a bridge between the urban fabric and the natural landscape.

"The building is envisioned as a calm oasis where greenery flows through the architecture.

"The form of the building is carved with organic lines inspired by the growth rings of a tree, symbolising natural cycles.

"The programme includes a teaching and research centre, a multimedia hall, an amphitheatre and a large exhibition space dedicated to scientific achievements and ecological themes."

Students: Anja Gajić and Aleksija Milošević
Course: House of E:cology (M03 Design Studio, Module Architectural Technology), University of Belgrade
Tutors: Dušan Ignjatović and Nikola Miletić

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Politecnico di Torino. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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